Topic: Bottling
Bottle Bombs
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThis question has a rather short, but important answer. Most breweries in the United States use “one-way” glass bottles for packaging. These bottles are lighter in weight compared to returnable bottles and are not intended to be used more than one time. Since the bottle filling and capping process can stress glass bottles, especially these lighter weight types, one-way
Bottle Conditioning Lagers
Digital and Plus Members OnlySince you are new to brewing lagers, I would focus 100% of my attention to primary fermentation and how the yeast behaves when fermented at cooler temperatures. Ale brewers are accustomed to having aggressive behavior during primary fermentation and the aroma coming from the fermenter is usually quite nice. Lagers are a different creature all
Adjusting Homebrew After Fermentation
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBrewers often commit that five-step sequence to muscle memory. After all, a strict routine is vital in maintaining a high level of control over the countless variables affecting the beermaking process and is essential for maintaining consistency. But small-batch brewing is fundamentally imperfect. No matter how strict the regimen, how fancy the controls, or how
Mobile Canning Lines
FREEThere was a time when just the thought of drinking canned beer was enough to make one cringe. That philosophy has changed in the last 10 years as craft breweries are embracing
Bottle Bombs
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBottle bombs are really scary because glass shrapnel can cause severe injuries. The first question that always comes to my mind when hearing about this problem is “how old is your glass?” Some brewers re-use bottles over and over again and eventually the bottles begin to fatigue and fail. Breweries using returnable glass bottles have
Oxygen Absorbing Caps
Digital and Plus Members OnlyEarlier this year Ashton Lewis participated in an “Ask Mr. Wizard” Q&A on BYO’s Facebook page where questions flew in over a two-hour timeframe. He provided quick and concise answers to over 30 questions. What follows is his original, short answer (in italics), plus some more information he wanted to provide when given additional time
Bottle Conditioning Brett Beers
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBrettanomyces yeast strains are so-called super attenuators because they secrete enzymes that break down carbohydrate dextrins that remain in wort following mashing. The products of these enzymatic reactions are fermentable. So in a Brett fermentation the beer is either very dry at the time of bottling or will become very dry after bottling. The most
Cleaning Bottles
Digital and Plus Members OnlyCleaning and sanitizing bottles, scaling recipes, and high temps in the hot liquor tank.
DIY Bottle Cap Designs
FREEWant to make your bottle stand out? Add a design to the cap using this acrylic transfer method.
Bottle Priming
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe Wizard fields questions on priming cold-crashed beers and the technique of kettle souring.
Bottling and Cask Ale
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe Wiz helps a homebrewer looking for cask ale taste on a bottling budget. Plus, dry hopping in the keg.
Sanitizing bottles in a dishwasher
Digital and Plus Members OnlyI have heard the same pearls of bottle-washing wisdom you cite in your question. I have also heard similar suggestions made about all sorts of other bottle sanitizing practices and often find myself wrinkling my forehead thinking, “Well, what do the big boys do?” When it comes to washing and/or rinsing bottles it is indeed